Author: Tricia Lott Williford

Tucker was a few weeks old, and it was my first night back to my part-time job as a writing teacher. I’m pretty sure I was teetering under the weight of everything I carried into my parents’ house: the car seat, the diaper bag, bottles, milk, binkies, blankets, burp cloths, a page of typed instructions, and finally, my newborn baby boy. Aside from my full hands, I carried a heart heavy with heaps of anxieties as a new mom. I placed everything in my mom’s hands and in her care, and as I snuggled Tucker and kissed his face...

Blended Parenting is about Shared Authority. It’s the balance of saying, “I know she was in charge, but now he is too.” It’s the careful dance of listening and learning, of stepping boldly around and sometimes into the landmines of parenting.  It is the difference between Power and Authority: Power is taken, Authority is given. Our counselor coached us through the process with this step by step model: First, identify the rules.  “In our family, we don’t leave our trash for someone else to clean up.” Identify the consequences.  “People who leave their trash for someone else to clean...

We are in that sweet spot between Thanksgiving and Christmas, where it seems that everything around us takes a soft curve—or a sharp right turn—from a spirit of gratitude to over-consumption. I don’t know about your family, but at my house, there are only a few hours between being thankful for what we have on Thursday and shopping the best deals on Friday. It’s hard to know how to navigate these waters, but the best way to claim the joy of the entire season is to keep the giving of thanks alive. During this season especially, your kids will...